Random musings on the world at large through the eyes of a quiltmaker. My motto: Make the quilt and then paint the bedroom!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Cracker Crumbs or Ocracoke checks in.

OK-here's the pop quiz question from last week: where's Ocracoke Island? Answer: Find it in the middle of the map at the bottom of this blog.

Quilt history is fun and last week's blog entry on the Cracker pattern, a favorite of Ocracoke quiltmakers, got some response that I wanted to share with readers. Amy Howard, a quilter from Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, sent me a picture of one of her Cracker quilts. She writes that the Ocracoke Quilters now meet at the Deepwater Theater http://www.deepwatertheater.com/ on the island. So if you come to Ocracoke, be sure to stop by the Deepwater Theater and catch a performance of Molassas Creek, the local band with the big sound. Amy adds, "I hope you like the quilt. Usually the triangles are a more solid color, but I really like the textured look." Joyce Reynolds was the photographer.Amy's Cracker proves that quilters can't help but tinker with their patterns. Nothing about quilt patterns is writ in stone. "No, you can't do that! This quilt is always made this way..." gets my hackles up. Maybe you've heard the term the "quilt police." That's the person who insists there's a right way and a wrong way to make a quilt and voices their opinion, loudly, on the subject. Don't you know it, quilters are independent sorts and experimentation is always appreciated-good on Amy and let's hope she makes many more quilts!

The Ocracoke map is here and by the way, if you plan on traveling to eastern coastal North Carolina, get an up-to-date map. Translation of 'picturesque byway' is: small curving road through swamps. How do you get to Ocracoke? You take a ferry! See this website http://www.ncdot.org/transit/ferry for more information.